Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, Assam formed panel for municipal reforms

Committee to submit recommendations in one month

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, Assam, has constituted a five-member committee on municipal reforms with Dr. Saikat Patra of Dibrugarh as the chairman.

The members of the committee are Goalpara Municipal Board Chairman Mahananda Pathak, Bongaigaon Municipal Board Chairman Subodh Chandra Das, Nagaon Municipal Board Vice Chairman Simanta Bora, and a ward commissioner of Sivasagar Municipal Board Nagaon, Nawal Kishore Khandelia.

According to a notification from the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Committee will look into the various issues of municipalities and examine the possibilities of better functioning of municipalities and solutions to better reforms so that municipalities become proactive. The municipalities should identify the need to increase property tax collection to improve the financial health of the urban local bodies (ULBs). The committee should study the need for utilizing grants under the 15th Finance Commission, the 6th AFSC (Assam State Finance Commission), and other grants and the submission of UCs (utilization certificates). Along with this, the committee will ensure to study the exhaustive list of properties that come under the ambit of taxation. Tax collected has to be based on the prevailing guidance value, or circle rate, and other matters for the proper functioning of ULBs. The committee will submit its recommendations to the department within a month from the date of this notification.

The state has 80 ULBs in general areas (other than Sixth Schedule areas), including 33 municipal boards and 47 town committees. The election of the 80 ULBs was held on March 6, 2022, with the announcement of results on March 9.

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